Manufacture of match packages



Aug.. 14, 1934. W, CK 1,970,047

MANUFACTURE OF MATCH PACKAGES Filed Jan.`12, 1953 PUQ:

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l/v VEA/TOR WILLY i/'c/f.

TTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 14, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Willy Lck, Stuttgart,

Germany, assgnor to P atentzuender Union Aktiengesellschaft, Vaduz, Liechtenstein, a corporation of Liechtenstein Application January 12, 1933, Serial No. 651,420 In Germany January 28, 1932 10 Claims.

The invention relates tc the manufacture of match packages of the kind wherein the matches are housed in the corrugations of a corrugated strip of paper, cardboard or like material attached by means of adhesive to a cover strip, which also consists of paper, cardboard or equivalent material.

A known method of making packages of this kind consists in first corrugating a paper or cardboard strip between two appropriately shaped plates, then removing the top plate and placing the matches in the corrugations, and then fastening the cover strip to the corrugated strip. With this method it is not possible to make a composite strip of indefinite length, which can be cut into sections subsequently, as can be done by another known method, which consists in corrugating one of the strips between two iiuted rolls, then feeding the matches into the corrugations from a hopper, and then fastening on the cover strip. With this method the separate appliances used for corrugating, lling and attaching the cover strip occupy considerable iioor space.

According to the invention the two strips are fed in convergent paths whereby they are brought into contact with each other, an adhesive being applied to one of the said strips before it touches the other, and simultaneously with the feeding of these two strips a match strip is fed in a path which lies between the said convergent paths, so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of the corrugated strip.

The match strip used in this process is of a well known kind, namely a strip of paper, cardboard or the like having transverse slots extending from one edge to within a short distance of the other, the portions between the slots being the match stalks.

I may arrange that when first placed in the corrugations the matches do not occupy their final positions therein, the match heads being outside the corrugations, and the matches being subsequently given a pull, which places the heads inside the channels formed by the corrugations. The effect of this pull, performed soon after the first and second strip are stuck together, is to loosen such matches as may accidentally have become stuck by glue issuing from the joints between the united strips.

My invention includes a particular form of apparatus for performing the process described. An example of apparatus according to the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. .1; is an elevation of part of the apparatus, and.

Fig. 2 is a view perpendicular thereto.

Fig. 3 shows a detail to a larger scale, and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line A-B of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 shows a portion of the composite strip at one stage of manufacture, and

Fig. 6 shows the same at' a later stage of manufacture.

Fig. 7 being an end view of the strip during one of the operations performed thereon.

The frame 1 of the machine has three shafts 65 2, 3, 4 rotatably mounted therein, one of these shafts being driven by a belt or equivalent means. The shafts are connected to each other by gear wheels 5, 6 and 7 fixed thereto respectively. 7 Upon the shafts 2 and 3 respectively there are o fiuted die rolls 8 and 9 coacting with each other, and the shaft 4 has fixed 'thereto a smooth roll 10, with a small clearance between this roll and the roll 9. The rolls 8 and 9 are 'preferably hollow, and internally heated. The three rolls have the same circumferential velocity. Adjacent to the roll 10 on the shaft 4 there is a toothed wheel l1, rotating therewith. A roller l2 for applying glue is mounted close to the roll 9, the glue being supplied from a trough 13 by means of a roller 14.

A smooth strip a of paper or cardboard is fed between the fiuted rolls 8 and 9,' as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 2, and is corrugated by the action of these rolls. The strip passes round the roll 9, in order at a: (Fig. 2) to pass between the rolls 9 and l0, and the ridges a1 of the corrugations (Fig. 3) are given a coating of glue by the roller l2.

To the top of the roll 10 there is fed a smooth strip b of paper or cardboard, and there is also fed to this roll, over the strip b, a strip c of tearoi matches, that is to say a strip of cardboard or the like which is slotted in the manner of a comb, the narrow portions c1 (Figs. 5 and 6) between the slots being the match stalks, which are tipped with the match heads d.

The two strips b and c travel together towards the part (Fig. 2) and the teeth of the wheel 11 engage into the slots between the match stalks (Fig. 3) accurately positioning them so that when the strip c travels with the strips a and b between the rolls 9 and 10 the match stalks are placed in the corrugations of the strip a, with the gluecoated ridges a1 pressed between the matches against the strip bY to which they adhere.

The length of the match stalks exceeds the width of the strip a, and portions of the stalks at both ends remain outside the corrugations when the three strips a, b, c are united between 110 the rolls 9 and 10 as described. The strip b is also wider than the strip a (Fig. 4), but its width is less than that of the strip c.

Along one edge of the strip a, namely the edge farthest from the match heads d, there is a coating of frictional igniting composition f (Fig. 4). There may be a similar coating on the strip b.

After leaving the rolls 9 and 10 the composite strip a, b, c travels idly for some distance, to give the glue time to dry. Appropriate guide rollers or the like, not shown in the drawing, are provided for this purpose.

The next operation performed in the machine is the transverse severing of the strip c by cuts g (Fig. 4), each cut made in succession serving to separate a group of matches from the remainder of the strip. To enable the cutter to operate the edge of the strip c is bent away slightly from the strip b, or the strip b is bent away from the strip c. This bending operation is not required if the strips are respectively of .such widths that the unslotted portion of web of the strip c is clear of the edge of the strip b.

After the transverse cutting of the strip c the web of the severed group of matches passes between the jaws 15, 16 of an automatically actuated gripper (Fig. '7), and the gripper holding the web c is moved transversely so that the severed group of matches is pulled some distance across the strip b, till the match heads d lie within the channels e formed by the corrugations of the strip a. While this is being done the strips a and b are held by a device not illustrated, to prevent transverse displacement thereof. The gripper then releases the web c. Then an automatic cutter makes a cut in the direction of the line y-y (Fig. 6), cutting the stalks of the severed group of matches along the edge of the strip b. The composite strip is then cut transversely into sections of whatever length is required for the finished article.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States isz- 1. The method of producing a composite strip for making match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the contact surface of one of said strips before it touches the other strip, and simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging parts of said strips so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip.

2. The method of producing a composite strip for making match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the ridges of said vcorrugated strip on the contact side of said strip beforesaid strip touches said cover strip, and simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging parts of said strips so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip.

3. The method of producing a composite strip formaking match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the contact surface of one of said strips before it touches the other strip, simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging parts of said strips so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip, dividing said match web into sections by transverse cuts after the matches have been laid in the corrugations, and separating said web sections from the matches by longitudinal cuts.

4. The method of producing a composite strip for making match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the contact surface of one of said strips before it touches the other strip, simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging parts of said strips so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip, and detaching the match web from the matches after the matches have been laid in the corrugations.

5. The method of producing a composite strip for making match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the contact surface of one of said strips before it touches the other strip, simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging parts of said strips so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip with the match heads projecting from the corrugations at .one end thereof, dividing the match webinto sections by transverse cuts after the matches have been laid in the corrugations, and pulling said sections transversely of said corrugated strip so that the match heads are drawn into the corrugations.

6. The method of producing a composite strip for making match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the contact surface of one of said strips before it touches the other strip, simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging parts of said strips so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip with the match heads projecting from the corrugations at one end thereof, dividing the match web into sections by transverse cuts after the matches have been laid in the corrugations, pulling said sections transversely of said corrugated strip so that the match heads are drawn into the corrugations, and separating said sections of match web from the matches by longitudinal cuts.

7. The method of making match packages of the kind described, which consists in feeding a corrugated strip and a cover strip in paths whereby they are caused to converge and then travel in contact with each other, applying an adhesive to the contact surface of one of said strips before it touches the other strip, simultaneously feeding a series of parallel matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks into the angle between the converging part of said strips so that maracas the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip, detaching the match web from the matches laid in said corrugations, and dividing the united corrugated strip and cover strip by transverse cuts into sections of the length required for the packages.

8. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising in combination two longitudinally uted rolls adapted to coact with each other for corrugating a strip which is fed between them and passes round one of them, and a third roll adjacent the roll round which said strip passes, adapted to press a second strip on the corrugated strip and to coact with said adjacent roll for feeding between said second strip and said corrugated strip a series oi matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks, so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip and are covered by said second strip.

9. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising in combination two longitudinally uted rolls adapted to coact with each other for corrugating a` strip which is fed between them and passes round one of them, a third roll adjacent the roll round which said strip passes, adapted to press a second strip on the corrugated strip and to coact with said adjacent roll for feeding between said second strip and said corrugated strip a series oi matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks, so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip and are covered by said second strip, and means for applying an adhesive to said rst mentioned strip after it has passed between said fluted rolls and before it reaches said third roll.

10. Apparatus for the purpose set forth comprising inv combination two longitudinally uted rolls adapted to coact with each other for corrugating a strip which is fed between them and passes round one of them, a third roll adjacent the roll round which said strip passes, adapted to press a second strip on the corrugated strip and to coact with said adjacent roll for feeding between said second strip and said corrugated strip a series of matches projecting from a web which unites their stalks, so that the matches are laid in the corrugations of said corrugated strip and are covered by said second strip, and a toothed wheel coaxial with said third roll, arranged so that its teeth engage between said matches and coact with said third roll for laying said matches in said corrugations. 

